From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Message-ID: <463E010A.4030404@conducive.org>
Date: Mon,  7 May 2007 00:23:38 +0800
From: W B Hacker <wbh@conducive.org>
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To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@cse.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: [9fans] speaking of kenc
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lucio@proxima.alt.za wrote:
>> there's a realmode assembler in /n/sources/contrib/quanstro/realmode.tbz.
>> it does all addressing modes supported by x86 in 16bit mode.
>> 8a already does all the 32bit stuff one would need.
> 
> I'd say that proves my point, in that a single assembler for both
> families seems hard to put together.  Or should I look harder?
> 
> ++L
> 
> 

Probably.

It has been a long while, but IIRC the MC 68008 / 16 / 32 path (width, not part 
numbers), or the later IBM/Motorola Power Series architecture were places where 
a degree of 'seamlessness' and auto-adaptation was sought across bit-width.

I don't recall how successful the efforts were, 'coz the impending cost of 
adding  yet-another-fee-not-free assembler drove me to Ray Duncan's LMI forth 
around the time the 68000 and 6809 were new, and forth was a lot happier than 
asm-generated output in small memory. Reasonably self-documenting, too if you 
had a modicum of discipline in your style. And only if.

Bill